keeping the props as long as they can staff these new jets when they come




Piedmont Airlines pilots approve new contract | Dallas Morning News

Pilots at Piedmont Airlines, a regional carrier owned by American Airlines Group, have approved a tentative agreement, American said Tuesday.

American did not give a vote total.

“American is pleased pilots at Piedmont Airlines have voted to ratify a tentative agreement that was reached with the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) on August 22,” American spokeswoman Martha Thomas said in a statement. “We look forward to working with Piedmont to add jet aircraft to their current fleet of turbo props to connect our customers in regional markets to American’s growing global network.”

With Tuesday’s decision, pilot unions at two of the three regional carriers under the AAG umbrella have approved revised contracts: Piedmont and PSA Airlines, both US Airways Express airlines.

Pilots at Envoy Air, renamed from American Eagle Airlines in April, have rejected attempts to modify their current contract, a concessionary deal obtained under pressure from American management during American’s bankruptcy proceedings.

American and US Airways merged on Dec. 9.

Here’s a letter from Piedmont president and CEO Steve Farrow to Piedmont employees.

September 16, 2014

Fellow Employees:

I am very pleased to report our pilots have ratified the tentative agreement we reached with the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) with a decisive 77 percent of the vote. As you know, this agreement, which will now become part of our Collective Bargaining Agreement with ALPA, significantly broadens our options for re-fleeting Piedmont Airlines and positions our company for future success in a highly competitive industry.

We would like to thank each pilot who took the time to read the document and carefully consider how this agreement would affect not only his or her own career, but the careers of fellow Piedmont pilots and co-workers. I don’t recall another vote that received so much attention outside of the pilot group. Thank you for voting your conscience with the eyes of your colleagues upon you.

With this foundation, we are beginning the process of preparing Piedmont for re-fleeting with regional jets. We have already started working with a consultant to add RJs to our certificate. I will share more information on the process in the weeks and months to come.

For those of you concerned with Dash 8 flying, rest assured that our turboprops aren’t going away any time soon. The Dash is an important part of the American Airlines’ route structure, and we expect to continue to fly both the -100s and -300s for the foreseeable future. Two of our Dash 8s have been painted in American Eagle livery; 23 more are scheduled to be painted over the next several months.

Please join me in congratulating our pilots, ALPA, Matt Berson and the ALPA negotiating committee, Captain Bruce Freedman and the Master Executive Council on a challenging job well done.

Steve Farrow

CEO/President

Piedmont Airlines